Protective sleeve for posts

ABSTRACT

The invention of this application is a protective sleeve for posts, such as fence posts, which are placed in the ground and cemented in place. The use of the protective sleeve increases the useful life of the post and makes it easy to replace a broken post without removing the concrete.

[0001] This application claims the benefit of my Provisional ApplicationNo. 60/440,157 dated Jan. 14, 2003, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention pertains to erecting fence posts, more particularlyto sleeves which are placed in the ground to accept fence posts.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] The prior art for fence building involves erecting a fencesupported by fence posts. The fence posts are placed in holes in theground. The holes are filled around the pole, generally by filling thehole with concrete for structural support. The problem with the priorart is that the poles are attacked by rot in the wet environment of theground. When a fence post fails and needs to be replaced, it isnecessary to break away the concrete, replace the post, and replace theconcrete. This is a costly and inefficient proposition. It would bedesirable to extend the life of the posts and/or provide a means forreplacing the post without breaking up the concrete base.

[0006] Several devices have been suggested for implanting tubes,sleeves, or boots into the ground to protect a post and extend its life.U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,796 to Gruhlke discloses an encapsulating sleeve forunderground portion of the posts providing a positive barrier againstdeterioration by ground contact. The sleeve has an open top to receive apost, sides and a closed bottom. The sleeve is designed for a snug fitwith the post and side vents for escape of air when the post is insertedinto the sleeve. U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,165 to Kenny discloses a sleeve orboot designed to encase a preformed base configured diametricallysmaller than the remainder of the post or pole. U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,760to McDonnell is another wood post protective sleeve which has an opentop and a closed bottom and displacement resisting projections extendingfrom the external surface of the sleeve to resist compressive forceswhich would tend to lift the post out of the sleeve.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,429 to Hodges is a device for erecting a postwhich comprises a tubular body with a deformable, removable internalcollar for tightly retaining a post in place. Hodges' device holds apost in place and allows replacement of the post without removing thedevice from the concrete.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,796, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,165, U.S. Pat. No.6,389,760, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,429 are hereby incorporated byreference herein.

[0009] There is a need for an improved protective sleeve for postsimbedded in concrete that increases the life of a post and also allowseasy replacement of a broken post without removal of the concrete.

[0010] There is a need for an improved protective sleeve for postsimbedded in concrete that increases the life of a post and also allowseasy replacement of a broken post without removal of the concrete,wherein said improved protective sleeve is inexpensive and easy to use.

[0011] There is a need for an improved protective sleeve for postsimbedded in concrete that increases the life of a post and can be usedto make removable fence sections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] It is an object of the invention to provide an improvedprotective sleeve for posts to be placed in concrete that increases thelife of the post and allows a broken post to be easily removed.

[0013] It is a further object of the invention to provide an improvedprotective sleeve for posts to be placed in concrete that increases thelife of the post and allows a broken post to be easily removed, whereinthe improved protective sleeve is inexpensive and easy to use comparedto the prior art.

[0014] It is a further objective of the invention to provide a method ofusing a protective sleeve to increase the life of a post and replace thepost without removing concrete used to anchor the post.

[0015] It is a further objective of the invention to provide a methodfor making a fence with a removable section using protective sleeves.

[0016] One aspect of the invention is a protective sleeve for use inplacing a post in the ground secured with concrete. A typical use isplacing a fence post in the ground such as a wooden post or a metalpost. Another use is support poles for structures. These examples arenot limiting, and other uses will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

[0017] A protective sleeve for a post, the post having a cross sectionalshape comprises:

[0018] (a) an elongate body with a cross sectional shape similar to theshape of the cross sectional shape of the post, the elongate body havingtwo substantially open ends, an outer surface and an inner surface, and

[0019] (b) a plurality of axial protrusions emanating into the elongatebody from said inner surface, such that said protective sleeve iscapable of accepting the post within the elongate body inside of theaxial protrusions.

[0020] Preferably the sleeve is designed such that the post fitscomfortably within the inner volume defined by the protrusions, within apreferred tolerance. Tolerances preferably range from about {fraction(1/64)} inch to about {fraction (1/16)} inch, preferably about {fraction(1/32)} inch. The sleeve preferably has a height that is sufficient forthe sleeve to cover the portion of the post that will be in the groundand in addition to extending above the ground.

[0021] Preferred protrusions include ripples with a triangular shapewhen viewed in a cross section drawn perpendicular to the height of theelongate body. Other shapes are “T” shaped protrusions or rectangularshaped channels.

[0022] A preferred sleeve is made with the elongate body and protrusionsbeing part of a single integral structure made by extrusion through atleast one die. A preferred material is a soft and durable plastic,preferably polyvinyl chloride.

[0023] The sleeve is held in place with preferably at least one screwand more preferably at least two screws that are screwed through thesleeve and into the post. The screws are preferably placed in thesection of the sleeve which is above ground level, preferably about fourinches down from the top of the sleeve.

[0024] Another aspect of the invention is a method for using theprotective sleeves as described above, comprising the acts of:

[0025] a) providing a hole in the ground;

[0026] b) placing an end of a post in a protective sleeve,

[0027] c) placing at least one and preferably two screws through theprotective sleeve into the post;

[0028] d) placing the protective sleeve into the ground, and

[0029] e) filling the hole around the protective sleeve, preferably withconcrete.

[0030] It is preferred to put gravel into the bottom of the hole beforeplacing the protective sleeve and post into the hole. This provides forimproved drainage of water and also makes it possible to adjust thevertical position of a post after it is set by removing the screws,pulling out the post and adding more gravel to the sleeve. The order ofthe above steps is not critical. For instance, a post may be placed in asleeve and the at least two screws put in place before placing the postand sleeve into the ground. Alternatively, the sleeve may be placed inthe hole and concreted in with a portion of the sleeve extending aboveground level. The pole is then placed in the sleeve, pushed into place,and the screws applied.

[0031] Still another aspect of the invention is using protective sleevesfor making a removable fence section. In this aspect the protectivesleeves have a shape and size to accept two fence posts side by sidewithin the sleeve. The method comprises the following acts:

[0032] a) providing three fence sections, the removable fence sectionand two adjacent fence sections, each fence section being between twofence posts,

[0033] b) providing two holes in the ground each hole being located toaccept one fence post from the removable fence section and one fencepost from one of the adjacent fence sections,

[0034] c) placing a protective sleeve in each of the two holes, fillingthe holes around each the two protective sleeves;

[0035] d) placing a pair of fence posts in each of the two protectivesleeves, wherein each pair of fence posts consists of one fence postfrom the removable fence section and one fence post from one of theadjacent fence posts in each of the protective sleeves;

[0036] e) placing at least one shim between each pair of fence posts ina protective sleeve; and

[0037] f) placing at least one and preferably two screws into each fencepost in a protective sleeve, whereby the removable section may beremoved by removing the at least two screws though each of its fenceposts and removing each of the at least one shims adjacent to each ofits fence posts.

[0038] The invention provides a number of advantages compared to theprior art, as follows:

[0039] 1. The invention provides a post sleeve that provides extendedlife for the fence post and allows ready removal of the fence post inthe same device.

[0040] 2. The open bottom of the sleeve is a departure from the priorart. Instead of trying to encase the post in an impervious encasement asin the prior art, the instant invention allows water to drain outthrough the open bottom. Drainage is promoted by a gravel layer at thebottom of the hole.

[0041] 3. The axial protrusions of the invention provide protection tothe post without extensive contact with the walls of the sleeve. Whenwater inevitably moves into the post, snug contact with the wallspromotes mold growth and deterioration of the post. In the instantinvention sleeves, there is minimal contact due to the protrusions andplenty of space for air circulation during dry weather conditions toallow the post to dry out.

[0042] 4. The open bottom allows gravel to be added or removed to adjustthe height of a post after the cement has been set.

[0043] 5. The only attachment points between the sleeves and a postwithin, are at least one and preferably two screws located above groundlevel. This allows for easy removal of a post by simply removing thescrews.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims and accompanying drawings, where:

[0045]FIG. 1A is a top view of the protective shield. FIG. 1B is a frontview of a protective shield.

[0046]FIG. 2 is a front view of a group of three fence posts deployed inthe ground with protective sleeves.

[0047]FIG. 3 is a front view of a removable fence section according tothe invention.

[0048]FIG. 4 is a top view of a protective shield with “T” shapedprotrusions.

[0049]FIG. 5 is a top view of a circular protective shield.

DESCRIPTION

[0050] The invention involves a protective sleeve for use ininstallation of posts into the ground, generally posts that are placedin a post hole and secured by concrete which fills the post hole. Onepreferred embodiment of the invention is a protective shield comprisingan elongate body having a cross sectional shape similar to the shape ofa post, having two substantially open ends, an inner surface and anouter surface. The elongate body has a plurality of axial protrusionsemanating into the elongate body from the inner surface.

[0051] The cross sectional shape of the elongate body is said to besimilar to the post in that it has generally the same shape as the post.Thus the elongate body for a circular cross sectioned post will begenerally circular and that for a rectangular cross sectioned post willbe generally rectangular with similar ratio of length to width as thecross section of the post. In this context, cross sectional refers tothe cross section that is perpendicular to the height of the elongatebody. The cross sectional shape of the elongate body is sufficientlylarger than that of the post so that the post will fit comfortably intothe protective shield. It is not necessary that the similarity beprecise geometrical similarity, for instance, the protective sleeve fora rectangular post may have rounded corners.

[0052] When the sleeve is described as elongate, the term is used todescribe an object that has a height that is larger than its diameter.

[0053] The height of the protective sleeve is such that it will coverthe portion of the post that will be placed in the ground and willextend above the ground.

[0054] One preferred type of axial protrusion is a triangular crosssection ridge extending from end to end of the elongate body, Anotherpreferred type of protrusion is “T” shaped protrusion.

[0055] Once the bottom of the post is in the sleeve, the post is held inplace by driving at least one and preferably two screws through thesleeve into the post. The screws are preferably placed in the portion ofthe sleeve that will remain above ground when the post is in place. Thescrews may be located on one side of the sleeve or adjacent or opposingsides.

[0056] One of the principles of the invention is to provide a protectivesleeve that allows the post to dry out between wet cycles. Prior artsleeves have focused on keeping all water out of a sleeve by tightlyencasing the post in a water impervious case. However, water willinevitably get into the underground portion of the post under wetconditions, at least by downward diffusion of water from the upperportion of the post that is not protected from rain. The instant designprotects the post by minimizing contact with wet surfaces since the postis in contact only with the protrusions. Also, the open bottom promotesdrainage from the bottom of the sleeve. A layer of gravel is preferablyplaced at the bottom of a hole to promote drainage.

[0057] Another principle of the sleeve design is that replacement of apost should be easy to accomplish without removing the protective sleevefrom the ground. One of the big advantages of the invention is that aprotective sleeve allows a post to be replaced without removing concretethat is used to secure the post in the post hole. When a protectivesleeve is used, a post within a protective sleeve is placed in a posthole and then the hole is filled with cement. If a pole rots or breaksoff, the post can be replaced by simply removing the screws which holdthe post to the sleeve and then removing the portion of the postremaining in the ground from the sleeve (discussed in greater detailbelow under section entitled “Method of Using a Protective Shield”) andinserting a new pole in the sleeve. This can be readily accomplishedwithout removing the sleeve from the concrete. Without a sleeve it isnecessary to break the concrete up and remove it to replace a post. Thedesign features which accomplish this are the open bottom end of thesleeves, constructing the sleeve out of plastic, leaving a clearancebetween the post and the wall of the sleeve, and minimization of wallfrictional contact by use of protrusions rather than a flat wall.

[0058]FIG. 1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the invention.FIG. 1A is a top view and FIG. 1B is a front view. Referring to FIGS. 1Aand 1B a protective sleeve 100 is shown with a post 106 therein. Thesleeve has an elongate body 102 having an outer surface and an innersurface with axial protrusions 104 extending into the sleeve. The axialprotrusions have a triangular shape in a horizontal cross section(perpendicular to the length of the sleeve) and extend from the top tothe bottom of the sleeve. There is a tolerance 108 between the post andthe inner surface of the protrusions. The post is held in the sleeve byscrews 110. The screws 110 may also be on opposing sides of the post.Note that in FIG. 1B the hidden lines corresponding to the axialprotrusions on the front and back are not shown to prevent clutter.

[0059] The sleeve shown is a protective sleeve for a square crosssection wooden post such as a 4×4 post. A standard 4×4 post has anoutside diameter of 3½ inches. This is the distance B on FIG. 1A. In onepreferred embodiment of the invention the inside distance on ahorizontal plane (perpendicular to the length of the sleeve) betweenopposing protrusions is about 3{fraction (9/16)} inches. This is thedistance C on FIG. 1A. In this embodiment the tolerance between the postand the sleeve is {fraction (1/32)} inch or half of (C-B). In generalfor a 4×4 post the preferred tolerance is between a {fraction(1/64)}-inch and {fraction (1/16)}-inch and is larger for larger postsizes. In this preferred embodiment, the outside diameter of theprotective sleeve is 3⅞ inches (distance A on FIG. 1A). The wallthickness (including the protrusions) is about {fraction (5/32)} inchwith the protrusions being about {fraction (1/16)}-inch peak to valley.In this embodiment the axial protrusions are preferably spaced about{fraction (1/8)} inch tip to tip. In this preferred embodiment the bodyof the sleeve and the axial protrusions are a single integral piece ofpolyvinyl chloride which has been made by extrusion through a die. Thismethod of construction is generally preferred and is well known to thoseskilled in the art. The polyvinyl chloride is preferably of the typethat is treated for ultraviolet light resistance.

[0060] In this preferred embodiment the height of the sleeve is 30inches corresponding to about a buried depth of 24 inches and 6 inchesextending above the soil line. The post is held in place by two #10×¼inch stainless steel screws placed through the sleeve and into the post.

[0061] Posts may be made with various shapes and sizes as well asvarious types of axial protrusions. FIG. 4 illustrates a square sleeve400 with “T” shaped axial protrusions 401 with a post 402 therein. Thepost is held to the sleeve by screws 404. A circular protective sleeve501 for a circular post 502 is shown in FIG. 5. The protective sleevehas axial protrusions 504 having a triangular cross section. The post isheld in the sleeve by screws 506.

[0062] Protective sleeves are preferably made to fit standard post sizessuch as 4×4 in the previous example. It should be understood that thedetailed dimensions will vary and the values given in the firstpreferred embodiment are for examples of one preferred embodiment andare not limiting.

[0063] Larger diameter posts will be buried deeper into the ground andthe height of a protective sleeve will be longer.

[0064] Method of Using a Protective Shield

[0065] The protective shield as previously described is used by takingthe following acts:

[0066] a) providing a hole in the ground,

[0067] b) placing an end of a post in a protective sleeve,

[0068] c) placing at least one screw and preferably two screws throughthe protective sleeve into the post;

[0069] d) placing the protective sleeve into the ground, and

[0070] e) filling the hole around the protective sleeve, preferably withconcrete.

[0071] It is important to note that there is not a particular ordernecessary for carrying out the acts. In one order, a protective sleeveis placed over an end of the post and the screws placed through thesleeve into the post before the sleeve (with included post) is placed inthe hole. In a second order, the sleeve is placed in the hole first,then the hole is filled, and the post is then placed into the sleeve andthe screws set.

[0072] It is preferred that gravel is placed in the bottom of the holebefore the sleeve and post are set. The gravel allows for improved waterdrainage. Preferably one inch to two inches of gravel are used. FIG. 2shows three posts 200 concreted in the ground with post concrete 204. Aprotective sleeve 202 has been placed over the portion of the post belowground level and extends above ground level where it is held on the postby screws 206 (a second screw is on the opposite side and is not shown).Gravel 205 has been placed under the posts. FIG. 2 illustrates oneadvantage of using protective shields. If a post needs to be raisedafter the posts are set in concrete, the post can be readily removed byremoving the two screws and pulling the post out of the sleeve. Thelevel can be raised by adding additional gravel into the sleeve and thenreturning the post to the sleeve and replacing the screws.

[0073] Another advantage to using the protective sleeves is when a postthat was installed with a protective sleeve needs to be replaced for anyreason the use of a protective sleeve makes it possible to replace thepost without digging up the whole or removing the concrete. For instanceif a post breaks off due to rot, leaving a portion of the post in thesleeve, the post can be removed from the sleeve by removing the screwsif necessary and pulling it out, A fragment of post left below groundlevel can be removed with a needle nose pliers.

[0074] If it is desired to replace the protective sleeve as well as thepost, once the post is removed the sleeve can often be pulled out of theconcrete. If this can not be readily done, a sleeve can be removed byflling it with ice to shrink it and then pulling it out. A new sleeveand post can then be placed in the concrete.

[0075] Removable Fence Section

[0076] Another method of using a protective sleeve is in making aremovable fence section. In this case the cross section of theprotective shield is sized so that two posts will fit inside of it. Theprotective sleeve is otherwise the same as described above for a singlepost. The use of protective sleeves in this manner is illustrated onFIG. 3. The method comprises the following acts:

[0077] a) providing three fence sections (306,308, and 310), theremovable fence section 306 and two adjacent fence sections 308 and 310,each fence section being between two fence posts,

[0078] b) providing two holes in the ground each hole being located toaccept one fence post from the removable fence section and one fencepost from one of the adjacent fence sections,

[0079] c) placing a protective sleeve (300 and 302) in each of the twoholes, filling the holes around each the two protective sleeves withconcrete (310 and 304);

[0080] d) placing a pair of fence posts in each of the two protectivesleeves, wherein each pair of fence posts consists of one fence postfrom the removable fence section (314 or 316) and one fence post fromone of the adjacent fence posts in each of the protective sleeves (318or 320);

[0081] e) placing at least one shim 304 between each pair of fence postsin a protective sleeve, the at least one shim held in place by screws(305); and

[0082] f) placing at least one screw and preferably two screws (312)into each fence post in a protective sleeve, whereby the removablesection may be removed by removing the at least one screw though each ofits fence post and removing each of the at least one shims adjacent toeach of its fence posts.

[0083] Gravel 303 is preferably placed at the bottom of each holebeneath the post and protective sleeve. An example of a preferred set ofcomponents for a removable fence section comprises 2×4 pressure treatedlumber for the fence posts 314,316, 318, and 320, and 1×4×⅜ inch redwoodbender boards for shims 304 between each pair of fence posts. If thesecomponents are chosen then a preferred protective sleeve is the samesleeve that was previously described as being suitable for a single 4×4fence post.

[0084] Although the present invention has been described in considerabledetail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, otherversions are possible. Therefore the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims should not be limited to the preferred versions herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective sleeve for a post, the post having across sectional shape, comprising: a) an elongate body with a crosssectional shape similar to the cross sectional shape of the post, theelongate body having two substantially open ends, an outer surface andan inner surface, and b) a plurality of axial protrusions emanating intothe elongate body from said inner surface, such that said protectivesleeve is capable of accepting the post within the elongate body insideof the axial protrusions.
 2. The protective shield of claim 1 whereinthe plurality of axial protrusions define an inner volume bounded by theaxial protrusions and the protective sleeve is capable of accepting thepost within a tolerance of touching any axial protrusion.
 3. Theprotective sleeve of claim 2 wherein the protective sleeve has a heightsuch that when a portion of the post is placed below ground level, theprotective sleeve is capable of accepting the portion and extendingabove ground level.
 4. The protective sleeve of claim 3 wherein theprotrusions have a triangular shape in a cross section drawnperpendicular to the height of the elongate body.
 5. The protectivesleeve of claim 3 wherein the protrusions have a “T” shape in a crosssection drawn perpendicular to the height of the elongate body.
 6. Theprotective sleeve of claim 3 wherein the elongate body has a generallyrectangular cross-section having four corners, such that a rectangularcross sectioned post having four corners will fit within the elongatebody without the corners of the post touching the corners of the body.7. The protective sleeve of claim 3 wherein the elongate body has agenerally circular cross-section.
 8. The protective sleeve of claim 3wherein the protective sleeve comprises a durable plastic.
 9. Theprotective sleeve of claim 8 wherein the elongate body and plurality ofaxial protrusions are a single integral structure formed by extrudingplastic through at least one die.
 10. The protective sleeve of claim 9wherein the protective sleeve has a generally rectangular shape and theplurality of protrusions have a triangular shape in a cross sectiondrawn perpendicular to the height of the elongate body and wherein thedurable plastic comprises polyvinyl chloride.
 11. The protective sleeveof claim 9 wherein the protective sleeve has a generally circular shapeand the plurality of protrusions have a triangular shape in a crosssection drawn perpendicular to the height of the elongate body.
 12. Theprotective sleeve of claim 10 further comprising a rectangular posttherein and at least one screw extending through the protective sleeveinto the post.
 13. The protective sleeve of claim 11 further comprisinga circular post therein and at least one screw extending through theprotective sleeve into the post.
 14. A method of placing a post in theground, comprising the acts of: a) providing a hole in the ground; b)placing an end of a post in a protective sleeve, wherein the protectivesleeve comprises an elongate body with a cross sectional shape similarto the shape of the cross sectional shape of the post having two openends, an outer surface and an inner surface, and a plurality of axialprotrusions emanating into the elongate body from said inner surface,such that said protective sleeve is capable of accepting the post withinthe body inside of the axial protrusions; c) placing the protectivesleeve into the ground, and d) filling the hole around the protectivesleeve.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the act of filling the holecomprises adding concrete to the hole.
 16. The method of claim 15wherein the act of providing a hole further comprises the acts of addinggravel into the bottom of he hole before adding concrete to the hole andplacing at least one screw through the protective sleeve into the post.17. A post embedded in the ground according to claim
 15. 18. A postembedded in the ground according to claim
 16. 19. A method of building aremovable fence section comprising the acts of: a) providing three fencesections, the removable fence section and two adjacent fence sections,each fence section being between two fence posts, b) providing two holesin the ground each hole being located to accept one fence post from theremovable fence section and one fence post from one of the adjacentfence sections; c) placing a protective sleeve in each of the two holes,wherein the protective sleeve comprises an elongate body with a crosssectional shape suitable for holding two fence posts, having two openends, an outer surface and an inner surface, and a plurality of axialprotrusions emanating into the body from said inner surface, such thatsaid protective sleeve is capable of accepting two fence posts withinthe body inside of the axial protrusions, and wherein each protectivesleeve extends above its hole; d) filling the holes around each the twoprotective sleeves; e) placing a pair of fence posts in each of the twoprotective sleeves, where a pair of fence posts consists of one fencepost from the removable fence section and one fence post from one of theadjacent fence posts in each of the protective sleeves; f) placing atleast one shim between each pair of fence posts in a protective sleeve;and g) placing at least one screw into each fence post in a protectivesleeve, whereby the removable section may be removed by removing the atleast one screw though each of its fence post and removing each of theat least one shims adjacent to each of its fence posts.
 20. A removablefence section constructed according to claim 19.